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Rae broke the stale bread and crumbled half between gloved fingers. He crouched down and offered the crumbs to the rats who happily ate from his palm. It wasn’t the bloody flesh they preferred but he would have that for them soon enough. His raven Atlas cawed and he extended his arm so she could land. He offered her the other half of the loaf and she happily took a bite. While she chowed down he too took a bite. It was dry and awful tasting, missing all the spices or flavoring in most pastries. I guess that’s what he got for robbing the worst bakery in town, old flour and water. It wouldn’t matter in a bit, it filled his stomach enough not to rumble horribly loud and it fed his companions. The Auras finished the crumbs and he stood back up as they scurried around his feet searching the alleyway for more scraps. Atlas finished her mouthful as well and Rae pulled a scroll from his pocket.
“Take this back to Caspian will you,” Rae requested. Atlas cawed and grabbed the parchment. She took to the hazy dusk sky and flew off above the smokestacks. Rae swallowed the last of the bread and pulled off his gloves. He dug out his pouch of cosmetics and dumped the contents onto the lid of one of the dumpsters. He opened the first tin and dipped his fingers into the sickly green paste. He spread it across any skin that wasn’t covered by his shambles of clothes. It was uncomfortable on his face but it would be worth it, after tonight this would all be over one way or another. He screwed the lid back on and opened the next. The off skin color paste was more chalky than the last but at least not as cold. It too was smeared on and mixed with the green making him look sickly. Black powder was dabbed on next, faking bruises and dead skin. He produced clay and molded it over skin making it look like deep gashes littered his skin. It was already stained so didn’t need much makeup other than the ash and dirt he tossed over himself. He added maroon paste and squeezed a tube of red liquid into the fake cuts. He packed up the makeup, tucking it away in the briefcase he attached to his back underneath his cloak.
“Ready?” He asked the Auras, the rats nodded excitedly. He stumbled out of the alley onto the cobbled path playing up the act of drunk and diseased. People steered clear of him letting him move freely wherever he wanted. The Auras scrambled up his body, freaking out people more as they screamed for help thinking the apocalypse had come. Body bent at weird angles he strolled down the street. He walked backwards and sideways constantly turning around so any one who lingered to observe won’t know he was headed directly for his target. The Auras chased off anyone they deemed too close, biting at their ankles and scratching at their legs. Soon the mansion was in sight and he pretended to faint into the city’s cannel system, letting his body go limp and fall sideways into the murky water. His ankle hit the wall on the way down, not the smooth droop he wanted but he made it. The makeup began washing off and he helped the progress, rubbing at it until it rinsed away. He stripped off his outer layer of rags leaving a fancier garment behind. Swimming a bit farther upstream, he got underneath the grand wall before crawling out and brushing off his suit and taking the briefcase off his back. He shook off as much water as he could and smoothed back his hair, pulling the long black locks into a ponytail. The Auras rejoined him but kept their distance knowing better than to throw off his disguise.
He strolled along the mansion grounds and among all the chaos of people freaking out over the rumored ‘Rat Man’ no one minded one drenched business man even with a ridiculously large briefcase. He made his way around the building to the gardener’s hut and climbed on top. The rats scurried up after him. He produced a rope from his jacket and handed it to one of the Auras who quickly scaled the pipeline and wrapped the rope around the balcony railing. The end was dropped back down to him and he took one end in each hand. He twisted each end around its corresponding wrist and began to pull himself up the wall. He pressed his boots against the stone bricks with only a little struggle from the hurt ankle and he used the tension from the ropes to walk up the wall. The rats joined him on the balcony as he climbed over the railing. He picked the lock and kicked the door in. The room was empty and Rae quickly barricaded the door with a dresser. A caw sounded and he turned to see Atlas swoop through the door. She landed on the bed frame and extended one leg that held a red ribbon wrapped scroll. Rae took it and unrolled the message from Caspian.
Be careful, come home safe. I love you.
Rae crumpled the note and tossed it into the fireplace. Leave no evidence behind. If he was caught he would be caught alone. He stroked Atlas’ head before sitting on the edge of the bed. The briefcase was laid out and he quickly geared up. He dumped the makeup containers at the vanity and rewrapped his rope so it tucked away nicely into the folds of his jacket. He put a switchblade in his boot and another in his sleeve before assembling his bow. He pulled back the string making sure all the pieces were secure and once he was happy with it he attached it to his back. The arrows were slid into nearly invisible pockets on his black pants, only a slight bulge on the sides of his legs giving away the purposely designed arrows location. One of the rats squeaked twice, a warning, someone was coming. Gathering the briefcase up he tossed it on top of the canopy bed before rolling beneath it. A knock sounded on the door and a minute later it was replaced by loud thuds as the door was forced open. The guard, dressed in red and blue, stalked the room, their hand on the handle of their pistol. One of the rats scurried across the floor long enough to distract the guard while Rae rolled out from under the bed. He kicked them in the back of the knees and they fell backwards into his waiting arms. Rae covered their mouth with one hand while the other arm flicked out the knife and quickly sliced their throat. When the guard stopped struggling Rae dropped the corpse for the Auras to take care of. He whipped off the knife as the rats ate away the flesh. He tucked the knife away and walked out into the hallway as if he was just another butler.
Up a flight of stairs and two hallways to the left was his target’s room if he remembered the blueprints right and he was pretty sure he did. He stalked the hallways while being as inconspicuous as possible. He did get stopped once and asked where he was going but he simply said he was running tasks for the Mistress and no one stopped him after, fearing the cold blooded woman’s wrath. Finally he got to the intricately carved doors. Atlas flew above in the ceiling beams keeping watch while he picked the lock. Eventually the wood and brass swung inwards to the fanciest bedroom he’d seen. He slipped inside and closed the doors after him and Atlas knowing the rats could find their own paths in. He pocketed anything small and valuable whilst he waited. His target would be here soon enough.
The turn of a key in a lock allerted him of the time and he quickly hoisted himself up onto the door frame. When the Mistress walked in he jumped down behind her, cutting off the escape route. She opened her mouth to scream for help but he silenced her with his coat’s sleeve. When she stopped resisting he let his hand drop and slid the knife back into his fingers.
“If you want to live you’ll cooperate,” He instructed despite knowing already she was to die that night. He kicked the door shut behind him, ignoring the pain in his bad foot, and instantly her face steeled no longer upholding the mask of damsel in distress. She calmly walked and sat down on the bed, gesturing to the window seat across from her. Rae strolled across the room to the vanity and plucked a singular diamond ring he had left and twirled it between his fingers, watching the anger grow in her expression.
“What do you want?” She demanded.
“Information would be a good start,” he replied casually. This only infuriated her more.
“On what,” she practically growled.
“Start with, hmmm,” he made a great show of tapping his chin as if deep in thought despite already knowing his goal. He had his agenda along with his employer’s. “The prison.”
“That thing?” She questioned. She seemed surprised that that was his focus. Maybe because the place in question had been destroyed a month before.
“Yes, I want every detail on every prisoner and every guard,” he demanded.
“Ha!” She cackled, “as if I’d bother with the overviewing of that. I gave the project to my second in command.”
“And who might that be?”
“Why would I tell you?”
“If you like your head attached to your neck you’ll start spilling,” Rae threatened, aggravated. He pocketed the ring and advanced with his knife pointed directly at her throat.
“Very well, their name is Perix, they’ve run the prison for months.”
“And you have no knowledge on the former inmates?” Rae insisted.
“None other than they were traitors to the capital or criminals.”
“Traitors, sure,” Rae huffed. He was pretty sure that his boyfriend and the child he’d taken under his wing were little more than that. A mechanic and a near adult just living their lives before being taken there.
“You mean innocents who got in your way.”
“Tomatoes, tomahto,” she sighed.
“No one says tomahto, and they are in no way the same,” Rae argued. She merely shrugged.
“Now my employer wants information on the city’s guardians.”
“I know nothing about the Dragons,” She spat.
“Considering you know their name I’d say you do know,” Rae smirked. He twirled the blade, teasing it close to her skin as he stared her down.
“They’re a cult,” she finally huffed.
“A cult with very powerful magic,” Rae continued.
“I have no connection to those criminals!”
“This necklace says otherwise,” Rae replied. He held up the pendant he had slipped from her neck when he silenced her earlier. She stared in horror at the purple dragon head charm.
“Feel like talking now?” He taunted.
“Since you already know everything, what do you need me for?”
“The password.”
“You won’t kill me if I give it to you?” She asked.
“I won’t, assassin’s honor,” He replied.
“Chorus Fruit.”
“See how easy that was? Thank you, for your cooperation,” Rae grinned. He pulled the rope from his jacket and cut off two pieces.
“What are you doing,” She insisted as he approached.
“I’m afraid I can’t have you babbling now can I?”
“You said you wouldn’t kill me, you swore,” she panicked. Her back hit the headboard giving her no more room to retreat without taking her eyes off him. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. He bound her wrists and feet together. He sliced the end off of a silk pillowcase and used the fabric to gag her. He got up and stood back as she rolled back over to glare at him.
“I won’t, I keep my promises. Doesn’t mean they won’t,” He smirked. The Auras scurried from their hiding spots and overwhelmed her. She squirmed beneath the army of rats as they bit and clawed at her skin, tearing her apart piece by piece. The alarms sounded and Rae’s smirk dropped. Shit, they must have found the remains of the first guard. She raised an eyebrow at him as if to taunt him back saying ‘see my people will find you, and me, checkmate’ but Rae just pulled out his bow and knocked an arrow, training the projectile on the door. It burst open not a minute later and the arrow found its home in one of the guards’ chest. A twin projectile striking the partner before they had a chance to react. Atlas swooped down from above and plucked the arrows from their chests, making them bleed out faster. She dropped them in Rae’s hand and he quickly reloaded one onto the bow. The Auras were having a field day with all the death, feasting themselves on the flesh of his enemies. Once he was sure she was closer to death than life he fled the room.
“Farewell Enderian,” He called as he escaped. Her muffled shouts faded into the distance with each step as he ran down the hall. Guard after guard was shot down, not stopping his sprint that was only slightly slowed by the growing pain in his foot. Atlas would retrieve the arrows, he trusted her. He made his way back to the bedroom and grabbed his briefcase, restrapping it to his back. The courtyard was full of people searching for him, that was obvious from the noise but one stolen glance over the balcony confirmed it for him; the grass was illuminated by dozens of lanterns as servants and staff romed beneath him. Not worried he turned back the way he came, running through the maze of the house. Auras scurried, devouring the corpses and Atlas swooped, helping him by pecking at the eyes of guards when she wasn’t gathering arrows. Rae made his way to the basement and found Aax waiting for him.
“Are you okay? You were taking too long so I came to check,” Aax panicked, surging forwards to make sure Rae was ok. Rae caught them in an embrace.
“Hey, hey. I’m ok,” he reassured his boyfriend. The shorter relaxed until his oversensitive hearing allerted them to the incoming guard. Aax rushed to the basement stairs as the celler’s trapdoor broke inwards.
“We were having a moment!” Aax scolded as he punched the guard in the gut. The guard reached for their pistol but Rae shot it out of their hand, allowing the bounty hunter to have the killing blow. The guard’s neck snapped backward and Aax let the body crumple to the ground with a sad thud, thud, thud as it fell down the stairs.
“We might want to get out of here,” Rae suggested. Aax nodded, he pointed to a barred off tunnel. The two partners slipped through the bars onto the edge of the sewer system and set off.
“What happened back there?” Aax asked as they walked along.
“The Auras forgot to hide their scraps and someone noticed,” Rae sighed. A chorus of angry shrieks answered him.
“You know I’m right. We’ve gone over this before,” he huffed.
“Not very smart of them to set off their alarms and alert you they had found out,” Aax laughed.
“She didn’t hire them based on brains clearly,” Rae agreed.
“Did you get what you needed?”
“Yep,” Rae grinned, He held up the necklace as proff even though the real prize was the information he sapped from her.
“Good. Now we better get back to Caspian before he starts worrying too much,” Axx grinned.
“Agreed, you know how much he worries whenever he hears that we’re going on missions,” Rae agreed.
“If only he knew what those missions were, it would be too much for his heart,” Aax laughed.
“He has some ideas, he knows there are casualties and he makes half our tools,” Rae pointed out. Aax nodded as they produced a raft from a crevice in the wall. How thankful Rae was for the break from walking. The duo carefully set it in the water and climbed aboard, they drifted downstream out to the bay where they paddled to shore. It was pitch black but Rae and Aax knew the way by heart at this point. They made it back to the workshop where Caspian awaited them. Caspian fused with supper as the two degeared and put on civilian clothes. Rae tucked the necklace away under a floorboard, tomorrow he’d deliver it and the news to his employer. He stripped off the suit and pulled on pajamas. Without the tight fabric he inspected his ankle, it was mildly red and bulged. Nothing bad although the minor sprain would be a pain for a few days and he could only imagine how his partners and Athena would fuss over him as if he had broken it instead of simply bumped it.
“Supper!” Caspian called. Rae put aside the mission and his problems and joined his boyfriends at the table for a late supper with a smile. Everything else could wait for tomorrow.